Friday, August 4, 2017

Give Some Thought To...

Toronto is gearing up for a second year of raising awareness with over 100 new one-of-a-kind brain creations by local and international artists with a focus on bolder designs in their medium of choice.

2017 TOTAL TO DATE - 44
MaRS building
Mother
With vastness of the human brain likened to the vastness of space, this piece represents the journey of discovery. The more we learn about celestial and neurological infinities, the more we unite to evolve.

SYNAPSE
Interconnectedness. Layering. Complexity.
'Weaving' the 'clear' monofilament – layer upon layer and in no particular pattern – draws attention to interconnectedness. The layers of monofilament increase, and become very dense in much the same way that memories are made in the brain. Memories are made and there is potential distortion in remembering.
The nail heads placed in the creases hold together all of the filaments which are absolutely interconnected and made of one single length of material.

Brookfield Place

This is by far my favourite!

SarabellumHello Earthlings,Or should I say ‘Fellow Earthlings' as I have now taken up residence on this fine planet. My consciousness has travelled the universe and found corporeal form with the help of a human named Kurt Browning. This solid form I now exist in took shape slowly starting as a blank brain-like sculpture and emerging as a combination of his love of most space-themed TV shows and some leftover skate blades he used to skate shows with. Canadian Tire seems to have provided many of my added features and he meticulously painted me while watching Netflix. I know my existence will help humanity and it was hard for him to give me up. I also love that he named me Sarabellum and I will miss the long hours of time we spent together. Oh, if you take off my glasses and look deep into my eyes you will find your own soul. Live long and prosper!

Kurt Browning was a four-time Canadian figure skating champion and four-time World Champion. He represented Canada in three Winter Olympics, 1988 (finishing 8th overall), 1992 (6th) and 1994 (5th), and was given the privilege of carrying the Canadian flag during the opening ceremonies of the 1994 games in Lillehammer, Norway.

Browning’s other achievements are numerous, including three Canadian Professional Championships, three World Professional Championships, a Lou Marsh Trophy for top Canadian Athlete in 1990, Lionel Conacher Award winner in 1990 and 1991, Order of Canada recipient in 1990, an American Skating World Professional Skater of the Year Award in 1998, and a Gustav Lussi Award from the Professional Skaters’ Association in 2001. He is known as the Wayne Gretzky of figure skating due to his achievements, contributions to the sport and popularity in Canada.

Colours my WorldThe brain colours everything - our joys, our fears. Our world is controlled and directed by our thoughts and by our dreams, by our memory and by our discomforts and by the way our brain reacts to the world around us.It colours our world.

Mila Mulroney has been a prominent champion of charitable causes in Canada for more than three decades.

As the wife of Canada’s 18th prime minister, she attended to a full agenda of official functions in Canada and abroad during the years of her husband’s government. Mulroney also represented Canada at international forums and played a leadership role in many charitable and educational endeavours.

Loss of Found“Loss of Found” is Kevin Dubois’ representation of the brain of his close friend John Mann. In another time, Dubois might have chosen to do a marble bust of Mann to honour him. Instead now, Dubois has chosen to “marble” Mann’s brain. The humour and irony inherent in this sculpture embody qualities that Dubois has known and loves in Mann. Yet, the marbles also contain the poignancy of a time gone by representing the “loss” we all are experiencing as Mann’s early onset Alzheimer’s progresses. The beauty in the colours and movement also illustrate Mann’s beauty as he is again leading the way for us with his ever present dignity and grace.

I admit I had to google John Mann.
John Mann is a JUNO award winning songwriter, musician and revered actor of stage and screen. For more than 25 years has fronted the sensational Spirit of the West.Click on this link to read his poignant message about his early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

Bay-Adelaide Centre

The Spaces BetweenLife and lace are both exquisitely fragile.Life is the space between one breath and the next. Lace is the space between one knot and the next. When tied together into permanent knots, string becomes lace. When tied together through electrical charges, experiences become memories.This sculpture is in honour of philanthropist and artist Al Green who recently passed away from Alzheimer's.

I will be featuring some of Al Green's sculptures in a future post.

Delicate EggArtist Leanne Kelly has fond memories of making “pysanky” wax-resist dyed eggs with her family. Each egg takes patience, time and a steady hand. After hours of working layers of wax and dye, inevitably someone would drop their raw egg. Tears and laughter would follow. These broken eggshells are a reminder of how delicate our brains can be.This brain is dedicated to Kelly’s family, and their struggle through Alzheimer’s, brain injury and a brain tumour.